Data communication interface having status memory for storing conditions of radio channel

• US 5,794,160 A
• Filed: 04/12/1996
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ezuriko, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bethea, Jr., Thomas
• Application Number:
  US08/631,561
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455/556, 455/466, 455/559, 455/418
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A data communication interface for interfacing between a digital radio telephone and computer includes a first protocol converter for converting forward channel data from the telephone into a form usable by the computer and a second protocol converter for converting reverse channel data from the computer into a form usable by the telephone. The digital telephone produces a plurality of status signals indicating the operating states of the telephone. The interface receives each status signal from the telephone and stores it in a status memory. When a command signal is received from the computer, the interface makes a search through the status memory for one corresponding to the received command signal. The detected status signal is applied to the computer and displayed.

Claims

1. A data communication interface for interfacing between a digital radio telephone and computer, comprising:

a first protocol converter for converting forward channel data from the telephone into a form usable by the computer and applying the converted forward channel data to the computer;

a second protocol converter for converting reverse channel data from the computer into a form usable by the telephone and applying the converted reverse channel data to the telephone;

a status memory;

first means for receiving a status signal at periodic intervals from the telephone and storing the received signal into said status memory, said status signal representing one of a plurality of operating states of said telephone; and

second means for receiving a command signal from the computer, making a search through said status memory and applying a stored status signal corresponding to the received command signal to the computer as display data.

2. A data communication interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first means comprises:

a pattern memory for storing a plurality of signal patterns;

means for reading said signal patterns in sequence from the pattern memory;

a first shift register for storing a header portion of the received status signal;

a second shift register for storing each of said signal patterns from said pattern memory;

a comparator for producing an output when there is a match between the header portion in the first shift register and a signal pattern in the second shift register; and

means for supplying a data portion of the received status signal to said status memory in response to the output of the comparator.

3. A data communication interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first means comprises:

a pattern memory for storing a plurality of signal patterns and a plurality of tags corresponding respectively to said signal patterns;

means for reading said signal patterns and said tags in sequence from a pattern memory;

a first shift register for storing a header portion of the received status signal;

a second shift register for storing each of said signal patterns from said pattern memory;

a comparator for producing an output when there is a match between the header portion of the status signal in the first shift register and a signal pattern in the second shift register; and

means for supplying a data portion of the received status signal and a corresponding one of said tags to said status memory in response to the output of the comparator.

4. A data communication interface as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second means comprises means foe making a search through the status memory to detect a remainder portion of the received status signal and a tag corresponding to the command signal and supplying the detected remainder portion and the tag to the computer.

5. In a data communication interface for interfacing between a digital radio telephone and a computer, said interface including a first protocol converter for converting forward channel data from the telephone into a form usable by the computer and applying the converted forward channel data to the computer and a second protocol converter for converting reverse channel data from the computer into a form usable by the telephone and applying the converted reverse channel data to the telephone, a method comprising the steps of:

a) producing a status signal at said telephone, the status signal indicating one of a plurality of operating states of the telephone;

b) receiving said status signal at periodic intervals from the telephone;

c) storing the received signal into a status memory;

d) receiving a command signal from the computer; and

e) making a search through said status memory and applying a stored status signal corresponding to the received command signal to the computer as display data.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the step (c) comprises the steps of:

c₁) storing a plurality of signal patterns in a pattern memory;

c₂) reading said signal patterns in sequence from the pattern memory;

c₃) comparing a header portion of the received status signal with each of said signal patterns to detect a match therebetween;

c₄) supplying a data portion of the received status signal to said status memory in response to the match detected by the step (c₃).